Swiss Biotech Starts Phase II Trial to Treat Motor Symptoms of Parkinson’s – Labiotech.eu (blog)

PrextonTherapeutics has launched a Phase II trial to test whether its drug foliglurax can treat the motor complications of standard levodopa therapy.

The Phase II trial will enroll 165 patients across the UK, Germany, France, Austria, Spain and Italy to monitor the effects of Prextonsfoliglurax. The company is looking for patients that have been treated with standard levodopa therapy and are experiencing loss of efficacy and dyskinesia, i.e. uncontrolled movements. The trial, funded through Prextons 29M Series B this February, will compare the amount oftime during the day when the medication wears off and symptoms get worse.

Traditional approaches like the administration of levodopa target dopaminergic neurons, whose activity is affected by Parkinsons. However, as the disease progresses the treatment wears off and motor complications appear. In order to circumvent these issues, Prextons foliglurax activates mGluR4 receptors in the glutamatergic neuronal system, which is not affected by PD and can compensate for the loss of function of the dopaminergic system.

If successful, PrextonTherapeutics will have to compete in the Parkinsons market with Newron, whose drug Xadago wasapprovedearlier this year as the first drug for Parkinsonsin 11 years; as well as the Promethera and Roche team, which announced last week a Phase II trial for their anti--synuclein antibody.

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